Google lets readers choose which websites they want to see more of. A site you set as a Preferred Source gets a "Preferred" label in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode, and shows up more often. Since 20 August 2026, site owners can add an official button to their site so readers can add them in one click. Below: what it is, what it delivers and how to set it up.
What is a preferred source in Google?
A preferred source is a website a user has marked as a source they trust or enjoy reading. You do this via Search personalization > Source preferences in your Google account, or via the star icon next to "Top Stories" in the search results. When you're signed in, your choice applies on every device where you search with that account.
The effect according to Google (Google Search Central):
- content from your preferred sources appears more often in Top Stories, with a "Preferred" badge
- in AI Overviews and AI Mode, links to those sources are highlighted with the same badge
- Top Stories and the AI features share one setting: choose a source in one place and it applies in the other too
So it's not a ranking factor for everyone. It's personal: only people who choose you see you more often.
How it developed
- First Top Stories. The feature started in the "Top Stories" news block.
- 27 May 2026: AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google brought preferred sources to its AI features in Search. According to Google, people are twice as likely to click through to a preferred source, and users had already selected more than 345,000 unique sources (Google, May 2026).
- 20 August 2026: the button for websites. Site owners can now place an interactive button on their site that lets readers add them directly (TechCrunch, August 2026).
Why this matters
AI answers mean fewer people click through to websites. A preferred source is one of the few ways to counter that yourself: you build a direct relationship with readers who already know you, and Google then shows you more often to exactly those people.
The nice part: it's based on a real choice by your reader. You can't buy it or game it. If you make good, current content and ask your readers to press the button, you reap the benefits.
Is my site eligible?
Google lists a few conditions:
- Your site appears in the source preferences tool. Search for your domain in the tool; if you find it, you're eligible. According to Google, any site that publishes fresh content can take part. Sites that are rarely updated are often missing.
- Domains and subdomains only.
example.comandblog.example.comwork,example.com/blogdoesn't. - For the AI features: your site must be included in Search's generative AI features in Search Console. If you opt out, the badge won't appear there.
How to add the button to your site
Google offers three methods (Google Search Central):
| Method | What it is | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard JavaScript (recommended) | Two lines of code; an official button that returns the reader to your page after adding | Quick and hassle-free |
| Advanced JavaScript integration | Same function, but with your own design in your brand style | When the button needs to match your brand |
| Deep link | A plain link to the source preferences page with your domain filled in | For newsletters, social posts and emails |
Tips to get readers to choose you
- Place the button where someone has just read something valuable, for example at the end of an article. Not as a pop-up on arrival.
- Explain in one sentence what it gives them: "see our articles more often in Google". That's enough.
- Use the deep link outside your site: in your newsletter, on LinkedIn, in your email signature.
- Keep publishing regularly. The feature is built for sites with fresh content. Going quiet means fewer chances to be seen.
- Measure the effect. Check in Search Console whether Top Stories and AI features bring more clicks. Want to know how, read our article on measuring AI visibility.
What it is not
- It doesn't guarantee a spot in Top Stories or AI Overviews; it increases the chance for people who chose you.
- It doesn't replace good content and a technically healthy site. Google still looks at relevance and quality.
- It doesn't work for people who aren't signed in or haven't chosen you.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "Preferred" label in Google mean?
That the user has set that website as a preferred source. The label appears next to links in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode, so you quickly see which results come from your favourite sources.
How do I set a website as a preferred source?
Go to google.com or the Google app, open Search personalization via your profile picture and choose Source preferences. Search for the site and tick the box. Or click a "Preferred source on Google" button on the site itself.
Does it cost anything to add the button to my site?
No. The button, the deep link and the JavaScript integrations are free to use.
My site isn't in the tool. What now?
Usually that's because the site publishes little new content, or because it's a subfolder rather than a domain. Publish regularly and check again later.
Does this help my SEO in general?
Indirectly. The effect is personal: only people who choose you see you more often. But more clicks from engaged readers are valuable, especially now that AI answers send less traffic through.
Preferred source on GoogleQuestions, or just want to spar?
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